From humble beginnings trading camera gear as a college student, Eric’s business acumen rapidly scaled into a powerhouse marketing agency. His proven ability to create compelling visual content has driven success for iconic brands including Chanel and Belkin.
Eric DosSantos is the CEO and Co-founder of Cats N Cars, a groundbreaking platform revolutionizing the supercar giveaway industry through blockchain technology. His entrepreneurial journey began in college, transforming a camera equipment business into a leading marketing agency servicing renowned brands like Chanel and Belkin. With a deep-rooted passion for technology, Eric entered the cryptocurrency world in 2014, recognizing the need for real-world utility. This insight led to the creation of Cats N Cars alongside co-founder Travis, where they merged blockchain innovation with tangible rewards. Eric’s emphasis on personal connections and a blend of web2 and web3 strategies sets Cats N Cars apart. With a proven track record of overcoming challenges, Eric’s adaptability and vision have positioned Cats N Cars for global expansion, aiming to become the premier supercar giveaway platform worldwide.
Armed with a deep knowledge of blockchain and a desire to make an impact within the blockchain community, he paired up with Travis Frye (Co-founder/CMO/COO) to deploy a real-world application of blockchain where users not only get to enter the giveaway through buying merchandise, they can further “supercharge” their entries through burning their tokens as well.
Similar to Eric, Travis grew up with a highly creative and savvy mind that was always coming up with inventions or business ideas. Eventually, he was VP of marketing for a company that grew from $0 to $30 million in two years. Eric and Travis first crossed paths while working on another project together and found a mutual respect and synergy together. They could’ve never guessed that it would lead to a pioneer project like Cats N Cars.
There is an emphasis on personal connections and in-person interactions for marketing, as Cats N Cars aims to bring together web2 and web3 audiences. Both Eric and Travis’s successful entrepreneurial backgrounds allow them to pivot, adapt and grow quickly in such a fast-moving landscape like blockchain. The vision is to expand Cats N Cars globally, with localized platforms and giveaways, positioning the company as a leader in the supercar giveaway space.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
To make my days productive, I typically wake up between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m., sometimes even as early as 4:30 a.m. I start my day with coffee, often opting for mushroom coffee, which I find really helps me stay focused. As soon as I’m awake, I usually have about 50 messages waiting for me on Telegram, mostly from team members needing answers or assistance. My mornings are immediately consumed with responding to questions, resolving issues, and managing various aspects of the project. While I wish I could say I have a structured routine that includes working out, having breakfast, and a calm start to the day, the reality is quite different. Since launching the project, my mornings begin with checking my phone and diving straight into work. I grab my coffee and then sit down at my computer to tackle the day’s tasks. It’s been far more intense and chaotic than I ever anticipated.
How do you bring ideas to life?
The process involves a lot of planning and creativity, drawing from my background in production where I’ve directed commercials and other projects. Ideation often starts with taking a lot of notes and building creative decks to outline concepts and strategies. This structured approach is something we apply rigorously at Cats N Cars. We’ve made sure that everything is meticulously planned and executed, similar to how an agency would handle new initiatives. This attention to detail and professional marketing experience sets us apart from many others running crypto tokens. We use tools like Monday for scheduling and managing to-do lists, which helps keep us organized. I’ll admit, I’m not the most organized person by nature—I’m an artist at heart, so many of my ideas come spontaneously. Often, I’ll wake up with an idea and immediately work on bringing it to life.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Honestly, I don’t find many trends exciting these days. Many current trends seem to be quite disappointing. However, one trend in the car world that I do appreciate is the growing popularity of car culture in America. Car meets are more frequent and cars are becoming a significant aspect of American culture, which is something I genuinely enjoy, given my background with cars.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Having the mindset of being able to see things differently and not conform. This approach of making my own rules and charting my own path extends beyond entrepreneurship. I firmly believe there isn’t just one right way to do things.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything. I don’t believe in regret or wishing for change. I see everything that has happened as part of a necessary journey, with each step unfolding as it was meant to. Every experience has contributed to where I am today, and I don’t think there’s anything I could have told myself that would have altered the course in any meaningful way.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I’m quite frustrated with trends in the crypto world, particularly on Solana. It’s become alarmingly common for projects to rug-pull and steal money from investors. The irony is that while many in the crypto community advocate for its global adoption and replacement of traditional banking systems, these scams undermine that vision. Newcomers, who often invest without full knowledge of the risks, are especially vulnerable. The ongoing theft and deceit detract from the potential for crypto to be a trustworthy and transformative technology.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
What gives me an edge is my tendency to see things differently and not conform to conventional rules. In photography, for instance, I was self-taught and never followed formal training. Instead, I created my own methods, which led me to become one of the top product photographers in the world.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Trusting in my own vision and capabilities allows me to approach challenges differently and often more effectively than others, and ground me in these scenarios.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
What has truly been effective for us is engaging with people directly, whether through conversations or in-person meetings, and explaining the project. We’ve seen significant investment and even people dumping their other tokens for CNC because they believe so strongly in what we’re doing. The challenge has been getting people from web2, who initially engage with our ads, to transition into buying our crypto token or participating in the bonus burn. This has proven to be a major hurdle. However, the greatest success across all my ventures, including CNC, has come from personal interactions. It’s about connecting with people and conveying the value and future potential of CNC directly. I’ve found that personal engagement far outweighs the impact of Facebook or Instagram ads. Ultimately, having the right people around you and building personal connections is what truly drives success.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
In my production company, things were going well initially, but then we decided to invest heavily in a new studio. Unfortunately, the production landscape started to decline, with clients not paying as much and demanding far more content. Despite recognizing these trends, I went all in, buying more equipment and spending more money, ignoring my own intuition that the industry was slowing down. If I had acted on those instincts earlier, I could have pivoted sooner. Instead, I kept pushing forward, hoping things would improve, but they only worsened. With the rise of AI and the shifting industry dynamics, I’m relieved I made the pivot when I did.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
E-commerce is where my expertise lies. I know how to control it effectively—handling the marketing, photography, videos, and website creation. This is my core skill set. With Cats N Cars, we’re combining e-commerce with car giveaways and crypto, which makes it quite complex. But at heart, I excel at selling products.
I can’t really guide someone in areas like real estate or other fields outside my experience. E-commerce remains the domain where I can make a significant impact. It’s one of the lower barriers to entry for people looking to make money quickly, especially today. With the right branding and effort, you can leverage services that handle shipping and logistics for you, allowing you to focus on generating revenue. While it may not be a permanent solution, creating a high-quality product and putting genuine effort into your business can lead to success, as people are inclined to buy from those they connect with personally.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use Adobe products every day, but I have to admit, I’m not a fan of them. On the other hand, OnePassword has truly been a game-changer for me. It has significantly improved my workflow and made managing my passwords and credentials so much easier.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
No, sadly I’ve never been much of a reader. I’ve learned everything I know from taking action and making my own rules. From Cats N Cars to photography, I’ve never had any formal training and have always made my own rulebook and techniques for success.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
No, I do not have time to watch TV.
Key learnings
- Embrace Adaptability and Innovation: My journey from photography to founding Cats N Cars highlights the importance of adapting to new industries and using creativity to turn challenges into opportunities. Shifting from traditional business ventures to integrating blockchain technology has shown me the value of staying flexible and innovative.
- Value Personal Connections: I emphasize the power of direct, personal interactions in building a business. Whether through in-person meetings or one-on-one conversations, I believe these connections are crucial for gaining trust and driving success, especially in the web3 space.
- Trust Your Instincts and Learn from Failures: Reflecting on my past challenges, I’ve learned the importance of trusting my instincts and learning from failures. My experience with a production company taught me to act on my intuition and make necessary pivots, demonstrating resilience and the value of continuous learning in entrepreneurship.